4 Reasons Why You Should Do Your Placement at the AECEO

Posted by Sonia Kania12sc on December 01, 2017

Being an intern has its perks!

Are you a student interested in policy and advocacy? Do you want to see a change in the early childhood profession in Ontario? If so, the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario (AECEO) is the ideal organization to complete your placement with! Hesitant? Let’s look at four reasons why you should do your placement here…

It’s Flexible

The AECEO strikes the perfect balance of office life, without being tied down to your desk for the entire day. Working in the office usually consists of working on recent campaigns, keeping in contact with various non-profit organizations, attending meetings, organizing events and social media outreach.

Work outside the office can include attending and/or partaking in speaking events and workshops, presenting to relevant post-secondary classes, canvassing and much more!

Your responsibilities will determine the amount of flexibility you have throughout the day. You may take half the day for office work and the other half for outside work. Some days you may be in the office all day and other days may be spent entirely outside of the office.

Self-Directed Environment

Due to the flexible nature of working at the AECEO, you are going to have to manage your tasks and the time it takes to do them wisely. You have the freedom to work at your own pace and set your own deadlines, which is great! However, to be successful, time management skills are key. Organizing your time well will help you carve out time for cool events, like attending speaking events and provincial meetings- anyone up for a visit to Queens Park?

This placement thrives off independence and good time management skills, if you think you have what it takes, keep on reading!

Location, Location, Location!

I think we can all relate to having placement in areas that are less than desirable, to say the least. Fortunately, the AECEO is located at College and Bathurst, also known as hipster central. You’ll be just steps away from Kensington Market, indie shops, cafes and unique restaurants.

The AECEO is also easily accessible by the TTC. Who can complain about being steps away from the Bathurst (511) and Carlton (506) streetcars? And with Bathurst subway station only a short 15-minute walk away, you can kiss stressful commutes goodbye! (Although you never really know with the TTC…)

Did we mention that the AECEO is located above a Snakes and Lattes? Score!

You Get to Make a Change

Finally, being placed at the AECEO means that you are working towards making a difference in the lives of Ontario early childhood educators! That itself is super rewarding. It’s important to remember that making a change looks different for different people.

If you’re loud and proud- attending meetings, speaking events and helping run campaigns are just a few ways to make your voice heard. Public speaking and advocating for ECE’s (whether in a meeting or in a protest outside of Queens Park) is a major way to get involved.

Making changes doesn’t always happen outside of the office though. Administrative work like data input, data organization, maintaining an active social media presence and reaching out to other organizations are essential in making provincial change happen.

Think you’re up for the experience? If so, contact the AECEO Coordinator, Lyndsay MacDonald, to discuss placement opportunities- lmacdonald@aeceo.ca